1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides an apparatus for an amusement ride and fall. The apparatus comprises a track having a discharge point, which may be at an end of the track, the track being positioned to provide a drop and preferably a substantial drop below the discharge point. In use of the apparatus, a thrill seeking passenger first experiences a ride by being propelled along the track to the discharge point. The passenger is discharged from the discharge point of the track with a horizontal component of motion. The passenger then experiences a free fall. An elastic tie having a secured first end and a free second end connected directly or indirectly to the passenger limits the free fall and, together with the horizontal component of motion imparted to the passenger, causes the passenger to swing and bounce for a period of time at the end of the free fall. At the end of the ride and fall the passenger is released safely. The invention therefore provides a thrill similar to that of a bungy jump but with enhancements.
2. Background Art
Bungy jumping is now a well known activity. A typical bungy jumping apparatus comprises an elevated platform and an elastic bungy cord. At or towards one of its ends the bungy cord is attached to the platform. The free end of the bungy cord is attached to the jumper, usually by way of a collar secured just above the ankles of the jumper. The length of the bungy cord between its attachment to the platform and its free end is chosen according to the characteristics of the bungy cord, the distance of the drop below the platform and the weight of the jumper. The jumper steps, jumps or dives off the platform to free fall until that initial free fall is brought to an end by the action of the bungy cord which causes the jumper to bounce up and down in an upside down position for a period of time, at the end of which the bungy cord is usually paid out from the platform to lower the jumper gently to the ground where the jumper is released. An example of a bungy jumping apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,448.
The free fall of the jumper from the platform is mostly a vertical fall. There is little by way of a horizontal component of motion in the fall. What horizontal component of motion there is usually provided by the jumper jumping or diving outwardly from the platform at the start of the fall. If a horizontal component of motion is included in the initial free fall then in addition to experiencing a bouncing at the end of the fall the jumper also experiences a swinging motion. With present bungy jumping apparatus, the degree of swinging motion that can be experienced by the jumper is relatively small.
Bungy cords are used in other types of thrill seeking amusement apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,783 describes a human slingshot apparatus. The apparatus consists of two elevated towers, a carrier between the towers and two bungy cords, each bungy cord connecting the carrier to the top of a respective one of the towers. A rider is strapped into the carrier when it is secured to the ground and the bungy cords are stretched with a tensioning mechanism. When the carrier is released it, with the strapped in rider, is shot up into the air following which it bounces up and down a few times before being lowered to the ground for release of the rider. A similar apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,671 except that the apparatus includes guide rails which cooperate with the carrier or chair assembly so that upon release of the chair assembly from its release position it is guided along a preselected path for at least a short period of time before being thrown from the guide rails up into the air.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,866 describes an amusement ride system including a chair assembly for a rider and three towers attached to the ground in a spaced and triangular relationship. Bungy cords extend from the chair assembly to the tops of first and second towers. Means are provided for tensioning the bungy cords to a stretched position. A pull cable is releasably joined to the back of the chair assembly from the top of the third tower. As the bungy cords are being stretched the chair assembly is lifted from the ground and the pull cable pulls the chair assembly to a position adjacent the top of the third tower. On release of the pull cable, the bungy cords throw the chair assembly along a substantially horizontal path extending from the third tower and passing between the first and second towers. Thus, the rider experiences mostly a back and forth horizontal motion.
Bungy cords are also used to provide an essentially horizontal motion in the amusement ride described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,321. A pair of side-by-side track assemblies are provided and each track assembly has a wheeled vehicle for a rider, which vehicle simulates a dragster and is mounted for movement along the track. Bungy cords are used to accelerate each vehicle along its track. At the other end of the track bungy cords are also used to decelerate the vehicle, and may also be used to accelerate the vehicle back to towards the first end of the track.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,331 describes an amusement ride comprising a wheeled vehicle for riders that is adapted to descend an inclined track having an upwardly curved launching portion, in a manner to launch the vehicle temporarily airborne in a trajectory similar to that of a ski jumper. The vehicle is rollingly connected by tethers to a pair of guy wires positioned on either side of the track and at a level relative to the track launch area to permit the vehicle to be launched temporarily airborne and to fall freely for a brief period without interference or restriction by the tethers. As the vehicle falls, the ethers become taut with the guy wires and terminate the free fall of the vehicle. The vehicle then glides along a predetermined descent down the guy wires towards twin laterally spaced towers at the end of the ride, each guy wire being connected to a respective one of the towers. This amusement ride therefore provides one or more persons with a ride on a vehicle down an inclined track to an upwardly curved launching portion from which the vehicle is launched into the air in a trajectory similar to that of a ski jumper. After a short period of free fall the guy wires to which the vehicle is tethered terminate the free fall and cause the vehicle to glide down the guy wires to the end of the ride. At the launching of the vehicle from the track, the vehicle does have a substantial degree of horizontal motion. That is followed by a short period of free fall. However, at the end of that period the vehicle glides down the guy wires. While the ride is no doubt exciting for any rider, it misses significant elements of excitement that are associated with a bungy jump. In particular, there is no substantial period of free fall as there is in a bungy jump. Neither is there any significant bouncing up and down at the end of the free fall as there is in a bungy jump. Furthermore, even though the vehicle does have a substantial degree of horizontal motion at launch, that motion is not utilised to provide a swinging sensation for the rider of the vehicle.